Casey's Secret
by Liv Cassidy
Summary: ADA Casey Novak has been harboring a secret since shortly before she was disbarred in 2008. Three years later, she's been reinstated and her secret is uncovered by none other than Detective Olivia Benson. Will she ever regain the detective's respect?
1. Prologue

**Summary: **ADA Casey Novak has been harboring a secret since shortly before she was disbarred in 2008. Three years later, she's been reinstated and her secret is uncovered by none other than Olivia Benson. Will she ever regain the detective's respect?

**Author's Note: **I'm just making my way around the pairings! This has been lurking in my brain for some time, and after watching the SVU Season 13 Marathon and seeing the episode where Casey and Olivia go at it, I just had to write it. If you can't tell, I'm not the FanFiction writer who is dedicated to one specific pairing or pairings. I know this is a less popular pairing, but I hope there are still some C/E fans out there. I'll be upfront: This is NOT going to turn into EO (or CO, as I don't write Olivia-slash).

Casey's Secret

Prologue

Spring 2008

"Long day, Novak, huh?" she jumped at the sound of Elliot Stabler's voice from behind. Damn right it had been a long day, but it had been worth it. She'd won the case, and that rapist would never see the light of day again. It was a job well done.

"Days like this are days I look forward to." Casey turned around and came face-to-face with the detective. His grin was wide and filled his long oval face. Her stomach tingled for a moment as his light blue eyes twinkled in the light. She often questioned where she stood with Elliot Stabler, though she'd come to the conclusion it didn't matter. Their relationship was strictly professional.

She knew that he and his partner had been hesitant to trust her in the beginning. Now that she'd been working with the Special Victims Unit consecutively for nearly four years, she thought she'd gained some ground with the unit. At first, it had been a bumpy road, but she'd known from the beginning that she had big shoes to fill. Alexandra Cabot was a name she was well acquainted with long before she'd been assigned SVU. She was the niece of Judge Bill Hermann and had been already established quite a name for herself. Although only two years Casey's senior, Casey aspired to achieve the fame Alex had achieved; and she hoped working SVU could get her there. Now, she'd been with SVU longer than Alex had, and held the record for "longest-standing" ADA to stay dedicated to the unit, and she had a 71 percent conviction rate. She had no intentions of leaving any time soon, either. No one said working with the unit was easy, and it was a never-ending challenge, but she never could get bored with SVU.

Elliot smiled and nodded. "There's no better feeling than knowing you took a rapist off the streets. That's why I love my job so much. Still, you look like you could use a drink. Want to catch a drink with me?"

"Yeah, sure," Casey shrugged, not thinking anything of Elliot's inquiry. She was accustomed to catching drinks with the SVU squad members after winning a big case. "Let me call Liv. I'm sure she'll want to be there too…"

"Liv already went home. She's exhausted. It's been a long week," Elliot offered. "So, it'll be just you and me…"

"Oh, did you ask Fin and John? Surely they'd like to unwind with us, too."

"Eh, they'll be fine. Besides, it's not like you and I ever go out together alone…as friends, of course. You know, we've been working together for almost five years, and I feel like I barely know you…"

Casey raised an eyebrow and laughed. "There's really not much to tell. I'm quite boring, actually. I go to work, go home to my empty apartment to sleep, and go back to work. It's a never-ending cycle. Shouldn't you head home to your kids and family?"

"As much as I love my family, I'm not sure I'm ready to face a crying baby and a cranky Kathy quite yet. She hasn't seen me in three days, and I know I'm going to hear it."

"If I were you, I would go home as soon as possible, then," Casey laughed. "You don't want three days to turn into four days. Then you'll really hear it. I can't say I blame your wife. I'd be a little upset if I hadn't seen my husband in three days, if I had one."

"After all we've been through; you'd think she'd understand what my job calls for. It's like she's never going to get it… so, Casey, shall we drink or not?"

Silence beckoned for a moment as Casey pondered her answer. She could tell that Elliot needed a friend right now, but why her? Why wasn't he crying his soul out to his partner? She wasn't blind. She could tell that he and Olivia Benson had something going on. Maybe it wasn't a sexual relationship, but they were close. Their relationship was closer than that of partners, and anyone with half-way decent eyesight could tell that was true. Elliot had never opened up to Casey before, so why now?

"I guess one drink can't hurt," Casey smiled weakly.

Elliot and Casey caught a cab to a bar that the Special Victims Unit frequented after cases. It early still, so the bar wasn't too busy. Casey wasn't much of a beer drinker, so she ordered a strawberry daiquiri. Elliot ordered his usual Coors Light.

"Thanks for coming," Elliot smiled at Casey, sipping his beer.

"No problem, Stabler. I hope you don't mind me asking. Is everything all right at home?" Casey felt like she was opening a can of worms, and she feared she was about to regret asking.

"Let's see… my eighteen-year-old daughter is out of control. I've got twin fifteen-year-olds who are on hormonal rages all the time. And let's not forget the fact that I have a five-month-old at home. Then they wonder why I'm going crazy… the twenty-four-year old is the only one I have nothing to say about, but that's because I never see her."

"Elliot, you're not crazy…" She took a sip from her daiquiri, which seemed to be in a larger glass than she was normally given.

"Come on, who in their right mind starts over after their children are almost all grown and out of the house? I'm too old for this."

Casey lightly laughed. "I don't think you're old at all, Elliot. You were a teenager when your first daughter was born? There are loads of men and women your age who have young children. You just started young."

"I guess you're right," Elliot agreed with Casey. "It's just strange, thinking that I'm old enough to be Eli's grandfather, you know? I have two children who are older than I was when I had my first child."

"It happens more often than you know…" Casey said. "My older sister is twelve years older than me, and my brother is sixteen years older than me. I was the 'oops' baby, too."

"Wow, Case, I didn't even know that you had siblings… you never talk much about your family." Elliot looked alarmed.

"Yeah, it's not something I'm particularly proud of…there's really not much worth mentioning. My dad died when I was eighteen, my mom when I was twenty-one. I'm on the outs with my brother and sister, so I'm basically on my own."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Elliot said.

"What about your family, Elliot? I mean, I hear all about your wife and kids, but you never mention your parents or siblings?"

Elliot coughed a laugh. "Right, well, I was an only child. My dad was a cop. We were never particularly close… he died shortly after the twins' birth…" He trailed off, and Casey could tell there was something more to that story. "And my mom was, well, crazy…I haven't seen her in a couple years, even though she lives in Jersey. Kathy and the kids go see her all the time."

"Well, you must have looked up to your dad at some point," Casey noted. "You followed in his footsteps."

"That I did," Elliot said. "My father, Case, he's not someone I particularly like to talk about…"

"That's understandable," Casey noted.

"You see, that's one thing I like about you, Case," Elliot said, and Casey was confused.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow?"

"You know when to stop. Maybe that's the ADA in you. You can only ask so many questions…talking to Kathy and Liv is a different story. Kathy is always mad at me for not "opening up" to her. She thinks I need to tell her everything that happens in my life, which I can't. There's just some things I can't tell her, which she doesn't understand. And Liv…God, she's such a detective. She always wants to dig to the bottom of every little aspect, and she gets pissed when I refuse to answer her questions completely."

"I thought you and Olivia were close," Casey said. "You always seem to be such good friends."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, we are good friends. We couldn't be partners for as long as we have been if we weren't. It's just…sometimes I can't help but wonder if she sees me _more _than a friend. Some of the questions she asks me are questions I'd expect from my wife, but not my partner."

"And you don't feel that way about her?"

"Contrary to what the rest of the world seems to think, no. Liv's like a sister to me. I could never see her as more than that."

"Good," Casey said. She looked down at her drink, which was empty. "Well, it's getting late, and you have to get back to your family and I should get home to get some rest…"

"Wait, Case, let me make sure you get home safely. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you…"

"Thanks for the offer, Detective, but I think I'll be fine. I've taken a cab home many times during my years as an ADA. I've only had one drink." She stood up, stumbling slightly as her head buzzed. It wasn't like Casey to get a buzz off one daiquiri, but the glass had been larger than normal.

"Sure you're okay there, Novak?" Elliot laughed. "Here, let me get you to your apartment."

Elliot wrapped his arm around her and led her outside. He waved for a cab, and in moments Elliot and Casey were in a cab together. She gave the cab driver her address, realizing Elliot Stabler had never been to her apartment before.

_What's happening? _Casey thought to herself, as she sat in the backseat next to Elliot. Her heart raced faster. Elliot couldn't possibly be hitting on her. _He's married_, she told herself. _He's a Catholic and would never cheat on his wife, especially with me. _Casey Novak didn't consider herself to be anything special. After all, she hadn't been on a date since college. She wasn't the type of woman who the opposite sex found attractive. Her female friends had insisted that men just found her intimidating, but Casey doubted that. She'd accepted that her looks were below average years ago, especially when compared to her super model older sister who had been bringing boy after boy home when Casey was three years old. Casey had dreamed about what it would be like if she'd been blessed with her older sister's looks.

They arrived at Casey's apartment not long after, and she began heading toward the door to her apartment. "Thanks for making sure I got home, Elliot," she smiled. "I'm okay now."

She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Elliot stood at the doorway and continued to stare at her. "God, Case, I have a confession…"

"Yeah?" her heart was pounding against her chest.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can't stop thinking about you. You've all I've thought about these past few weeks while we've been working this case. I mean, I've always found you pretty, but I'm married and never imagined cheating on my wife before now. All of a sudden, your beauty has taken over my mind. I can't get you out of my head." He blushed and when she didn't say anything, he continued, "God, I feel like such a fool now…"

"This is so wrong," Casey whispered. "W-we can't do this."

Elliot stepped in her apartment and his face was a nose distance away. His lips pressed against hers. Casey could taste the beer on his breath, but she didn't care. She'd just been kissed by Elliot Stabler.

"El…" she moaned, as she let him into her apartment and their lips met again. He began to unbutton her shirt, and suddenly Casey realized she would never be able to look at Elliot Stabler the same way again.

* * *

**Please let me know your thoughts, good or bad, and feel free to follow me on Twitter at "paisleywrites"! **


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Spring 2011

Three years had passed since that unfaithful night, and Casey Novak was blessed with a constant reminder of it. Casey Novak heart filled with nothing but love as she looked into her ocean blue eyes. She was perfect. Her fiery red hair and pasty skin replicated her mother's, but her eyes set her apart from her mother. Those who knew Sadie asked her who father was, but Casey harbored that near and dear to her heart. Sadie had never met her father, and her father didn't even know of her existence. Casey intended for it to stay that way, too.

She had learned that she was pregnant just days after she was censured, which had occurred just weeks after the affair. Suddenly, she became thankful that she was censured. It was perfect timing. She would never have to look Elliot in the face again, and she wouldn't have to worry about breaking up his family.

The weeks following the affair, Casey had become disorientated and disconnected from the job. She blamed her lack of focus for the outcome, and her being censured. If she had her head in the game, then she wouldn't have been censured. Working next to Elliot Stabler had become living hell, though both had agreed to pretend it never happened. They both knew it was for the best, though it didn't take the awkwardness away.

In the end, it didn't matter. As a Catholic, Casey Novak believed everything happened for a reason. Sadie was the perfect example of that.

Elliot tried to call her after she was suspended, though Casey had ignored the calls. She was determined to raise her child on her own, and she would say that she'd done a decent job.

Casey never planned on seeing Elliot Stabler again. That was, until the day she received a phone call from the District Attorney's office, telling her that her suspension was over, and she could reapply for her ADA position again if she chose to do so. Unbeknownst to Casey, when accepting her job back, her first case would be with Special Victims Unit.

No words could explain the awkwardness Casey felt when she'd looked into Elliot's eyes again. _Where the hell is Olivia? _Casey had thought, as she'd worked alongside Elliot and Fin. She asked no questions, and had ensured to keep their work as professional as possible, leaving all personal history between her and Elliot behind.

She was sitting in her office looking at a wallet photo of Sadie when she was alarmed by a surprised visitor. Alarmed, she pushed the photo into her wallet, and stared at the guest. Casey recognized her immediately. Her hair was longer than it had been the last time she'd seen Olivia Benson, but Olivia had a face that Casey would never forget.

"O-Olivia," Casey stuttered.

"Elliot said you were back, and I wanted to see you in the flesh for myself. Were you busy? I'm sorry for just barging in."

"Oh, no, you're not interrupting anything," Casey said. "I was just preparing for my next trial…"

"I take it we won't be seeing you back permanently, then? El mentioned something about you only being the temporary ADA."

"I was just back for the one case," Casey told her. _Thank God, _Casey thought, not wanting to imagine having to work next to Elliot Stabler on a regular basis again and keep her secret. Elliot couldn't know about Sadie; he just couldn't. Sadie was her daughter, and she wasn't sharing her. Besides, Elliot was married. He had five children of his own. She wasn't going to be the woman to ruin his marriage.

"That's too bad. You know, Case, I swear your leaving cursed the ADA spot at SVU. We haven't been able to hold an ADA since you."

"So I've heard," Casey said. During the course of her time at SVU, she'd been questioned time and time again about what kept her at SVU. Most ADAs didn't want to work with the special victims, but she'd loved her job. At first, she struggled, but the unit as a whole grew on her. She had enjoyed working alongside Olivia, Elliot, John, Fin, and Don. She could not have asked to work with a better captain.

She and Elliot had grown close as friends. That's all she'd ever seen him as. Yes, he was attractive. She would be blind not to see his attractiveness, but he was married; and she never in a million years dreamt of messing with his marriage. Then that night happened, and she lived with constant flashbacks of it. When she thought of Sadie, she didn't regret it. Casey wouldn't change her daughter for the world.

"Well, just thought I'd stop by and…"

Olivia was cut off by the sound of Casey's personal cell phone's ringtone. Casey's heart raced. She glanced at the I.D. and saw it was her daughter's babysitter calling. Sadie had been in the hands of someone other than her mother for the last few weeks. For the first two years of Sadie's life, Casey had been home with her. She hadn't needed a babysitter. It killed Casey to leave Sadie with a stranger. Casey had conducted in depth reviews and done background checks before selecting the person who would be watching her child while she was at work. Addie Meyer was a retired teacher and had raised five children of her own.

"Hello? Is everything all right?" Casey asked. Sadie had never called her at work before, so something had to be wrong.

"Casey, Sadie's going to be all right, I'll tell you first…"

"What do you mean she's going to be all right? What happened to Sadie?" Casey demanded, panicking. She'd forgotten Olivia was in the room as the concern for her daughter took over.

"We went to the park and she fell off the slide. We're at Mercy now and she's getting stitches. I thought I'd call you and let you know, but…"

"You're _just _calling me now?" Casey demanded. "How long ago did she fall?"

"I took her straight to the hospital, Casey. My first concern was her health…"

"And you couldn't have called me sooner?"

"Casey…"

"I'll be at Mercy as soon as possible." Casey said, hanging the phone up and turning to Olivia. "I'm sorry, but I've got to get going…"

"Is everyone all right?" Olivia asked, noting Casey's panicked state.

"I hope so," Casey said, reluctantly. Concern and suspicion lingered in Olivia's eyes. _Great, _Casey thought, biting her lip. She would prefer Olivia not find out about Sadie. Olivia was a smart detective. Casey's gut inferred that Elliot hadn't told Olivia about the affair. She didn't want to imagine Olivia's reaction. If Olivia found out, so would the rest of the unit. She and Olivia weren't _that _close. Casey was surprised that Olivia had even bothered to come and visit her. She'd always thought that Olivia secretly hated her.

"You're going to Mercy? So am I, actually. I was just on my way there to meet Elliot to interview a victim. I can drive you."

_Just what she wanted to hear. _"That's not necessary…" she was insistent, but so was Olivia.

"Counselor, with all due respect, you look a bit manic. Let me make sure you get there safely."

Suddenly, she felt as if she didn't have a choice.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The ride over to the hospital could not have been more awkward. Casey sat in the passenger's seat as Olivia drove with her legs crossed.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but who's in the hospital?" Olivia asked, and Casey had expected her to ask.

"Um, it's my niece," Casey said quickly. "My sister's daughter is staying with me this week while her mom is on vacation. That was the babysitter who called me. Apparently she fell and needed stitches. My sister is going to kill me when she finds out." It killed Casey to lie to Olivia, but she knew that it was for the best. Olivia could not know that Sadie was her daughter, because she would then begin to interrogate her with more questions. After working with the Special Victims Unit for so many years, Casey felt like she knew each squad member too well.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Olivia's eyes widened. Elliot was the only one whom she'd shared that detail. Casey preferred to keep her family and work life separate. Elliot was also the only one she'd told that she was on the outs with her siblings, which was still the truth. For all anyone knew, she had reconciled with her siblings. Casey knew that once she got to the hospital, she had to do anything and everything to prevent Olivia and Elliot from seeing Sadie. All it would take was one look in Sadie's eyes.

"Yeah, she's twelve years older than me. We weren't talking, but we recently reconciled, and she thought it was a good idea my niece to get to know her aunt," Casey said, and the lie grew.

"Aw, well, that's sweet. I'm sure you're enjoying that. What's her name?"

"Sadie," Casey said, deciding there was no need to hide the child's name. When her own sister had learned of Sadie's birth, she had taunted Casey for giving her child a dog's name. Casey had always been fond of the name Sadie, and had wanted to give her daughter the name since she was a small girl. Other people's opinions did not matter to her, especially her sister's.

"That's an adorable name!" Olivia insisted. "I'm sure she's beautiful."

"She's a gem," Casey said, smiling weakly as Olivia parked the car at Mercy Hospital. She opened the car door and began heading toward the entrance, Olivia followed after her. Casey turned to Olivia and said, "Thanks for the ride. Now, I really need to get to Sadie…"

"Oh, yeah, I understand. Hey, if you need anything, let me know…"

"Thanks," Casey said, meeting eyes with the detective for just a moment. Her empathetic brown eyes gazed at Casey. That was something Casey always had admired about Olivia: her ability to emphasize with others. During Casey's time at SVU, Olivia's heart often caused conflicts. They both sought justice for the victims, but there was something different about Olivia. Casey often wondered that if she hadn't been there to make sure the law was played out, Olivia would create her own definition of the justice system.

Casey parted from the detective and was fortunate to make it to Urgent Care without running into Elliot Stabler. She took a decoy around the Emergency Room to make sure of that.

"Momma!" two-year-old Sadie squealed. She and Addie were sitting in the waiting room when Casey arrived. The two-year-old pushed herself off her chair and ran into Casey's arm. Casey scooped the little girl off her feet and immediately observed the mark on the child's forehead, just above her eyebrow. Casey gently hovered her hand over the mark, her eyes widened at Addie.

"She's fine, Casey. She just had a little fall, that's all. The doc stitched her right up. She just needs to come back in ten days to have the stitches removed."

Casey hugged her daughter, and the little girl gently squeezed her back. She nodded at the woman and whispered, "Thank you, Addie. I know it's not your fault. This is just her first serious injury, so that's why I freaked out on the phone."

"Hey, I understand. I'm a parent, too, remember?"

"You can go home. I'm taking the rest of the afternoon off." Casey looked at her daughter. "Sadie needs to be with her mommy." Casey lightly kissed the little girl's forehead, realizing how much she missed Sadie while she was at work. Maybe accepting her job back had been a bad idea. If she had not taken her job back, then she would have been with Sadie when she'd fallen. Or, maybe she could have prevented Sadie from falling. There was one person in this world who needed her unconditionally, and that was her little girl. Casey took a deep breath, realizing she had so much to think about. If she had not returned to work, then she would never have seen Elliot Stabler again.

"If that's what you want. Seven o'clock tomorrow morning, still?" Addie asked.

Casey nodded, "Yeah."

As much as she wanted to go back to it being just her and Sadie, she knew she had other commitments. She wasn't ready to breach the contract she'd made with the DA's office. As much as she loved her job, she also loved her job. That's why she'd been so quick to take it back when she'd received the phone call telling her that her censure was over.

Sadie buried her face in Casey's shoulder as she began to exit the hospital. She knew she couldn't ask Olivia for a ride again, so she'd have to call a cab; and Casey was just fine with that. The only favors Casey needed from people were when she needed warrants signed from judges. When it came to her personal life, Casey preferred to be independent.

She was in the process of calling a cab when she heard a man's voice behind her.

"Casey Novak?"

Her heart stopped when she turned around to find Elliot Stabler.

_Oh shit, _were the first thoughts that ran through Casey's head as she tried to make sure Sadie's face was facing away from Elliot.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry this is moving slowly and the chapters aren't very long. I've been dedicating so much time to Second Chance that I've been neglecting this, and I really just wanted to update this with something. I have the story plotted out, so it's just finding time to write it. I'm also battling with about a dozen other plot bunnies running through my head that I'm trying to push to the side so I can finish the stories I've already started, because I feel bad starting a story then not updating it for ages, leaving readers in the dark. =(**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Uh, hey, Elliot," Casey's heart raced. She clung tightly onto her daughter, who fought her mother to stay faced away from Elliot. The two-year-old peered toward Elliot, staring at the man she did not know to be her father with wide eyes.

"Liv told me that she brought you here, this must be your … niece?" Elliot raised an eyebrow at Casey, and then shifted his attention to Sadie. "Hey there, little one." He waved at Sadie. Casey knew that Elliot was great with kids. After all, he was the father of five – well, six. _He might be Sadie's father, but he's not her dad, _Casey reminded herself. Sadie didn't have a dad, and Casey knew it was better this way. Elliot had a family; Casey would never in a million years expect Elliot to drop his family and be with her. He belonged to Kathy, not her. She and Elliot had been a one-night fling. He didn't love her, and she didn't love him.

"Well, look at the time, I better get going," Casey quickly glanced at her watch and turned around, continuing toward the door. _Please let him go away, _she pleaded with her thoughts.

"Wait, Casey!" he followed after her.

"What is this, Stabler?" Casey snapped, turning around to face Elliot.

"It's just…" he stammered, his eyes melted into Sadie's. "I didn't know you had a niece. You've never mentioned her. Uh, how old is she, if you don't mind me asking? She looks so much like you…"

_Shit, _she thought. He suspected.

"Elliot, why does any of it matter? Since when is my personal life important to you? Look, I really have to get going," she said.

"Case, she's not your niece, is she?" Elliot immediately accused.

"What the hell do you mean? Of course she's my niece. She's my sister's daughter," Casey said with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Novak, you're a horrible liar, you know that? You'd make a shitty defense attorney, no offense," Elliot told her, shaking his head.

"Elliot, I really don't have time for accusations," Casey said, turning around and walking away from Elliot. So, she was a horrible liar? She wanted to inquire what made it so obvious that she was lying, but then she would have to admit her lie. She just wanted Elliot to leave her alone, though she had a feeling that wasn't going to happen. She tried to walk swiftly, but that's when she felt Elliot's hand on her shoulder.

"Casey, she has my eyes…" he whispered in her ear. "A father knows his daughter."

She froze. Her heart pounded into her chest, and she was at a loss for words. She tried to hold back her tears, but water ran down her face from her eyelids. She didn't know what to say to him. She turned around, and Elliot wrapped his arm around her and Sadie.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, stuttering her words, "I couldn't…I couldn't tell you."

"Case, we need to go somewhere and talk about this," Elliot said warmly. "I'm not mad…well, I am, but…this explains everything." She looked up and saw a tear twinkling in his bright blue eyes, the same eyes that her daughter shared.

"Where's Liv?" Casey said hoarsely. "She can't know about this."

"She's talking with the victim. I told her that I had an errand to run. She doesn't have to know, shit, I can't imagine telling her, either, at least right now."

"She's going to hate me," Casey released a sigh, and she saw as Elliot frowned.

"Well, it isn't Olivia I would worry about hating you," Elliot said, though they both knew that she wouldn't be happy. Casey knew where Elliot was going, though. Nonetheless, Casey didn't care what Kathy thought. She had never met the woman. Though, Olivia had mentioned to her once that Kathy was horribly jealous of Elliot and Olivia's partnership. Casey didn't want to imagine what this woman would do once she found out he had a child with another woman who wasn't Olivia.

"Elliot, I don't know what to say to you," Casey admitted, tears streaming down her cheeks. In her arms, Sadie became restless and tugged at her mother's shirt. Casey read the concern in the toddler's eyes.

Elliot looked at Sadie, and then at Casey. He held out his arms and whispered, "May I?"

"Go ahead," Casey offered softly, slowly handing her daughter over to Elliot. She then hinted that he follow her outside. He followed her outside and they stood, waiting for a cab.

"Hi, sweetie, what's your name?" Elliot's voice was so soft when he spoke to Sadie. Casey's heart sank. Elliot was such a good dad. She couldn't have asked for a better father for her child, but she knew that she couldn't depend on him to drop everything for her and Sadie. He had a family already established. He didn't belong to her.

Sadie timidly looked away from Elliot to her mother. She was such a quiet child who didn't talk to strangers. Casey had taught her daughter well. She had instilled in her child from a very young age that there were bad people in the world. When they were at the park, Casey never took her eye off Sadie. If there was one thing she'd learned while being a district attorney, it was you could never be too careful with your children. Working with the Special Victims Unit for so many years had prepared her for motherhood all too well. If anything, though, it had frightened her of motherhood. Before she had children, she had considered never bringing a child into this harmful world. Sadie wasn't planned, but now that she was here; Casey couldn't imagine losing her.

"Her name is Sadie Louise Novak. She's twenty-eight months old and was born on January 14, 2009," Casey answered for her daughter, curling her lip under her teeth as a cab pulled up and the three got in.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked, and Casey provided her address. She knew she wasn't going back to the office tonight. She knew she needed to do the right thing. She needed to introduce her daughter to her father and sort her future out with Elliot. Now that Elliot knew, there was no reason to withhold information from him. Her worst fear had come true. She'd never planned on Elliot finding out about Sadie, but when she'd gone back to work at the DA's office she'd known that there was a chance he might find out. She'd tried to keep quiet, and she'd succeeded for a little while. She lived a private life, but perhaps this was for the best. Sadie did have a right to know who her father was. Casey had heard various cases in the past where mothers didn't tell their children who their father was. Sometimes it was for the best, but Elliot was no criminal. He was a married man, however, and leaking Sadie's existence could ruin his marriage and possibly his career.

They arrived at her apartment and were soon in her living room. Elliot hadn't released Casey from his arms.

"Sweetie, are you sleepy?" Casey asked her daughter, who had been unsurprisingly quiet during the time. The circles under her little girl's eyes indicated sleepiness. She'd had a long day. Although, Casey was surprised she'd allowed Elliot to hold her for so long. Generally she cried when anyone she didn't know tried to hold her. She was quiet around strangers, but she was quite the boisterous child when she was familiar with her surroundings.

She nodded, and Casey reached her arms out to take the little girl into her room. Casey changed Sadie into her pajamas and laid her into her crib. She knew that Sadie would soon be outgrowing her crib. She'd already escaped a few times, but Casey hadn't gotten around to picking out a big girl bed for her. Since going back to work, life had been hectic. Casey kissed Sadie on the cheek and turned off the lights, then returned to Elliot, who was sitting on the couch in the living room.

"So," Elliot stood and faced Casey. "She's beautiful, Casey...just like her mother."

"Thank you," Casey blushed. An awkward silence beckoned them. Casey released a sigh, "So, where do we begin?"

"I don't know, Case," Elliot said. "I'm a little dumb-struck now. I just found out that I have missed the first twenty-eight months of my youngest child's life. Moreover, I just found out I have another daughter…it's a lot to take in, Case."

"Look, I'm sorry, but you understand why I couldn't tell you? I don't expect anything from you. I don't want to be the reason your marriage is ruined. I'm not asking you to drop everything for Sadie and me. We're doing just fine alone. If you want, you can pretend that this never happened…go back to Kathy and live happily ever after," Casey shook her head and crossed her arms, struggling to make eye contact with Elliot. She swallowed, afraid to hear Elliot's response.

"Oh, yeah? So, that's what you expect me to do, Casey?" Elliot's voice was stern. His voice rose, "Casey, what kind of man do you think I am?"

"A man who had no problem cheating on his wife with me," Casey murmured. "What does that say about you, Elliot Stabler? A loyal husband would never cheat on his wife with a hopeless assistant district attorney, no matter how drunk he was." She wasn't paying attention to the words she was speaking, and she really hadn't planned on starting a fight.

"You're right," Elliot said. "You're right…but we fucking can't change the past, can we? We can regret it all we want, but what happened is what happened, and now we have a daughter. She's _our _daughter."

"I don't regret that night, Elliot. I have a beautiful daughter because of it," Casey said softly, but her voice quickly stiffened, "But she's _my _daughter. I've been there for her every day for the last twenty-eight months. I carried her in my belly for nine months. Elliot, she's mine."

"She's half my blood," Elliot interjected. "She's got my eyes, Casey."

"What's it matter? You're married!" Casey spat. She didn't know where he was going, or why he was so riled up about Sadie being half his. He couldn't try to fight her for custody, not now and not ever. She would win. He was a married man with a family of his own to feed. Casey took note to this wedding ring still on his ring finger which he played with. He inched closer to her, and his eyes twinkled.

"We've got ourselves in a fucked up situation, don't we?" he whispered and leaned toward her, gently kissing her lips. Her heart leaped with shock and she pushed him away like she should have the first time he had kissed her.

"What the hell, Elliot?" she demanded. "You can't just have a one night stand with a girl, get her knocked up, disappear from her life and then find out you have a daughter and expect to woo her with your kisses! This isn't a game!"

"I'm sorry," Elliot was quick to respond and move back, giving her space. "Case, I'm so sorry…if I'd known, I would have been there."

"Would you have?" Casey shot back. "Let's see, when I found out I was pregnant, you were married with a six-month-old son. Why on earth would you leave your wife and son for me?"

He shook his head and said, "I don't know."

"Elliot, just go. Go back to your wife and kids. Sadie and I will be fine. Forget you know about her. Everything will be better this way."

"There's one problem, Casey," Elliot whispered.

"What?" Casey couldn't possibly think of one problem with her solution.

"I can't forget."

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry for abandoning this story. It always seems to get pushed to the back of my stories to update, especially now that I've been going Bensidy crazy. What will Elliot and Casey do? Will Elliot tell Kathy, and how will she react? How will Liv react? Stay tuned! Hopefully I'll update sooner – life's been hectic with my college graduation approaching. If you're on Twitter, follow me at HeavenlyFearful (I've changed my username). **


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